“This was a tough one to project. The Ravens could go with ILB Kevin Minter to replace the retired Ray Lewis, or with a safety like Matt Elam, D.J. Swearinger or John Cyprien to fill the void left by Ed Reed's departure,” he wrote. “There are a lot of options, but I like Patton's ability to step into the role previously filled by Anquan Boldin. He's not a carbon copy of Boldin, but Patton is a little faster and more athletic, and could be a reliable complement to No. 1 receiver Torrey Smith. Baltimore finally got its passing game firing on all cylinders last season with QB Joe Flacco distributing the ball all over the field, and bringing in another possession-type receiver makes some sense. If not, a nose tackle like Alabama's Jesse Williams could be on the radar.”

“The Ravens' defense will look different in 2013, with new additions like Elvis Dumervil, Marcus Spears, and Chris Canty joining the 2012 Super Bowl winners,” Schrager wrote. “I don’t believe Manti Te’o is worthy of a first-round pick, but I like Minter. A lot. I’m not a huge fan of drafting middle linebackers in the first round, but Minter brings the goods -- and though he will never be Ray Lewis (or even Dannell Ellerbe) -- he can start right away and make plays for the defending champions.”

“This one almost seems too easy as the Ravens have to find two inside linebackers after losing Ray Lewis to retirement and Dannell Ellerbe in free agency,” Lande wrote. “Although Te’o may not be a premier athlete, he is a good athlete who will be a productive player and excellent leader for the Ravens.”

“The Ravens are in desperate need of linebackers after Ray Lewis' retirement and Dannell Ellerbe's surprise departure,” Brooks wrote. “Te'o is a tenacious tackle-to-tackle defender with the savvy and moxie to step in as a first-year starter.”

“The Ravens have never been wary of prospects with maturity issues, believing their locker room has the veteran leadership to keep the youngsters in line. Will that still be the verdict with Ray Lewis retired? I suspect so,” he wrote. “Ogletree is simply too athletic and too talented to not make the first round, and Baltimore's need at inside linebacker is great with both Lewis and Dannell Ellerbe having moved on.”

“This pick is all about figuring out which player will fall to the Ravens,” he wrote. “Ozzie Newsome frequently scoops up plummeting prospects, and there's no reason to believe that this year will be any different. The tumbling prospect could easily be Keenan Allen because he's injured and hasn't been able to work out. Allen makes a ton of sense for the Ravens. He would fill the void created by the Anquan Boldin trade to the 49ers.”

“The play of veteran left tackle Bryant McKinnie played a critical role in Baltimore's Super Bowl run but the Ravens are not willing to break the bank to guarantee the 10-year veteran returns,” he wrote. “Pugh has shorter arms that scouts would prefer at left tackle but the 6-5, 307-pounder has the footwork and experience there to plug and play.”

Between now and April's NFL draft, Baltimore Sun blogger and reporter Matt Vensel will periodically publish NFL mock drafts, which he will mostly base off team needs, offseason roster moves and media speculation. The first round of the NFL draft is Thursday night, so this will be his final mock...

To keep you entertained during the 2013 NFL offseason, blogger and reporter Matt Vensel will go back and review the performance of each significant Ravens contributor during the 2012 season. He started with the team's free agents and recent retires and will break down a new Ravens player...